1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a navigation system for an automotive vehicle. More specifically, the the present invention relates to an automotive navigation system which provides an improved navigation information on a display screen along a preset travel route of the vehicle, to ensure an improved guidance to a destination.
2. Description of the Background Art
One of previously proposed systems for navigating a vehicle is exemplified by Japanese First Patent Publication No. 62-93617.
In this publication, as shown in FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b), when the vehicle enters a predetermined distance range from one of known intersections along a preset route to a given destination, a display unit 1 shows lane and direction designation marks M.sub.1, M.sub.2 and M.sub.3 (FIG. 1(a)), or a direction designation mark M.sub.4 (FIG. 1(b)), so that a vehicle driver can choose a proper lane before reaching the intersection.
However, in the above-noted background art, since only the lane and direction designation mark or the direction designation mark is displayed on the display screen in the vicinity of the intersection, the vehicle driver is forced to determine how to drive the vehicle solely based on those information without any other information about the forthcoming intersection, which is burdensome to the vehicle driver, particularly taking into consideration that the intersection itself is sometimes burdensome to the vehicle driver.